Against the Current - Chapter 355

Chapter 355 - Pregnancy 

Now, when Xianglan returned to the mansion, she once again sent for the divine physician Luo, who had long been attending to the household's pulse-taking needs. This time, it thoroughly confirmed that she was with child, filling everyone in the household with boundless joy. Guiyuan hurriedly sent word to Chen Wanquan and his wife, and before long, the couple arrived.

Originally, Chen Wanquan had intended to sell their old residence and purchase another one near the Lin estate so they could be closer to their daughter. When Lin Jinlou heard of this, he said, "Why go through all that trouble? The family has more houses than we know what to do with, just sitting empty. Yesterday, a letter arrived from Madam saying that they plan to stay in the capital for a long time and want us to move into the residence they were occupying. Little San is no scholar, so the family purchased a nominal official title for him in the capital to hang as a sinecure, while keeping him at home to manage external affairs. Just the other day, they even sent people to have all his personal belongings packed and brought to the capital, saying they were clearing out the Mengfang Courtyard for him to live in. His Cloud-Gazing Courtyard here is sitting empty—though not large, it has both a front hall and rear chambers, complete with a side alley gate making it a completely independent courtyard. Why not have your father and mother move in there?"

When Xianglan heard Lin Jinlou say this, she was delighted, yet she worriedly replied, "Father and mother have only me as a daughter, and it should be my duty to constantly wait upon them and show filial piety. I'm only afraid that once they move in, they'll still be living in the Third Young Master's courtyard..."

Lin Jinlou pulled Xianglan into his arms and said, "Oh, my little Xianglan, can you stop worrying about something for even the length of a cup of tea? With Second Uncle in his current state, they won't be coming back anytime soon. I gifted Little San a shop, and the capital residence has Mengfang Courtyard cleared out for him and his wife to live in—one look and you can tell they have no intention of returning, especially since the Third Young Sister-in-law's maternal family is still in the capital. You can rest easy; I'll handle everything." Thereupon, he dispatched people to fetch Chen Wanquan and his wife, and ordered his personal attendants and pageboys to go over and assist with the move.

When Chen Wanquan heard that he was to move into the Lin residence, he was naturally a hundred times willing. The thought of such splendor and prominence made him feel so light on his feet that he practically floated when he walked. Once their belongings were packed, however, he began to feel anxious and doubtful. At one moment he worried about spending his days mingling with his former masters, feeling awkward from head to toe; at another he feared that improper speech or conduct on his part might bring trouble to his daughter. At still another moment he fretted that living inside the Lin mansion would entail massive expenses for food, daily provisions, and tip-giving, making it far less economical than living outside, which left him sighing heavily and unable to sleep soundly all night. The next day, upon arriving at the Lin residence and catching sight of Lin Jinlou, Chen Wanquan didn't even dare to speak, managing only a foolish grin. Fortunately, Madam Xue was glib-tongued and knew how to handle social occasions; she showered him with endless expressions of gratitude and praised Lin Jinlou from head to toe in glowing terms. Her compliments made even Lin Jinlou feel somewhat awkward, and out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Xianglan standing off to the side, pressing her lips together in amusement. Though he glared at Xianglan, his heart felt wonderfully sweet, and turning away, he couldn't help smiling to himself.

Fearing that her parents might feel ill at ease, Xianglan spoke to them privately: "Since we're all in the same estate, visiting back and forth will be much more convenient. Otherwise, every time I return to my maiden home, it takes carriages, people, and guards—such a grand mobilization—that I couldn't visit you very often anyway. Having father and mother's living expenses covered by me here is the truly sustainable plan. Just speak as little as possible with the people of the household; with our own independent courtyard, we can close our doors and live our own lives. If anything is lacking, just let me know. All of the Third Young Master's things in the rooms have been cleared away, and everything on display has been brought out from the storerooms. Father and mother should feel entirely at ease using them."

With a wrinkled face, Chen Wanquan said, "Your mother and I had better just move back out..."

Madam Xue glared at Chen Wanquan and snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting? We went to all this trouble to move in, so don't go wasting the child's good intentions and give your son-in-law reason to find you troublesome!"

The moment the awe-inspiring son-in-law was mentioned, Chen Wanquan snapped his mouth shut as if a trap had clicked.

After Xianglan left, Madam Xue couldn't help touching and inspecting everything in sight: the brand-new pink auspicious cloud-patterned satin mattress on the bed, the grayish-green large quilt, the lotus-colored gauze bed-curtains hanging from silver hooks, the begonia-wood stands, the pastel dragon-gall vase, the brass lion incense burner, and the large ebony screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Sitting down on a chair, Madam Xue let out a long breath and sighed, "I used to see this sort of place all the time when I was a maidservant, but I never imagined I'd actually get to live here as a mistress."

Chen Wanquan took down the curios from the multi-tiered treasure shelf one by one to inspect them. Hearing her words, he turned his head and scolded, "Look at your lack of ambition! Don't you dare go around talking about having been a maidservant anymore, lest people hear it and make a laughingstock of our daughter!"

Madam Xue rolled her eyes and retorted, "And what's wrong with being a maidservant? Didn't a maidservant end up becoming a proper, glorious eldest grandmother of the Lin family? I said from the very beginning that our Xianglan was extraordinary, and what did you say to her? Now that she truly has become an official's wife and madam, traveling in grand carriages when she goes out, eating the finest food, with eight maidservants waiting on her hand and foot, and even letting an old fellow like you move into the Lin family, you should just be dreaming and smiling in your sleep!"

Chen Wanquan instantly grinned from ear to ear, unable to contain his delight.

From then on, the Chen couple settled into the Lin residence and rented out their previous house. Chen Wanquan still went to the antique shop every day, leaving early and returning home early. When he had free time, he would either drink tea and relax at a teahouse, play street chess with acquaintances, or return to the estate to keep birds for amusement. Madam Xue spent her days doing needlework at home, going over to Xianglan's quarters to chat, or visiting the temple to recite Buddhist scriptures, leading a thoroughly content and fulfilling life. Since the Cloud-Gazing Courtyard was separated from the rest of the main estate by other buildings and possessed its own alley-facing door, closing the inner gate connecting it to the Lin residence truly made it feel like an entirely self-contained household. The couple thus settled in securely.

Meanwhile, upon hearing that Xianglan was pregnant, the two of them were overjoyed beyond measure and hurried over to check on her, busily preparing food, medicinal herbs, and various gifts. Pressing her palms together in devout prayer, Madam Xue beamed with radiant happiness as she said, "Amitabha! Finally, there is some news. This makes all those trips I've made over the past year and a half to pray to the Goddess of Child-Giving well worth it. Tomorrow, your father and I will go to the temple to fulfill our vow and donate a generous sum of incense money."

Hearing that Madam Xue intended to donate money, Chen Wanquan felt a sharp pang of financial heartache. Just as he was about to frown and object, he remembered that this was his daughter's first pregnancy, and perhaps it truly was the blessing of some deity. Didn't that fortune-telling immortal woman back then accurately predict that their daughter would rise to great prominence? Clearly, there was some truth to these things. He held his tongue and refrained from arguing, limiting himself instead to showering Xianglan with solicitous questions about her well-being.

After her parents left, Xianglan lay in bed clutching the quilt and thought to herself, "Big Brother, why aren't you back yet?"

Xianglan waited for several more days, but Lin Jinlou still had not returned home. One day, she and Madam Xue went to the Jingyue Convent to burn incense and fulfill their vows. Upon their return, Bao'er came to deliver a message: "The Big Master says he will be back tomorrow." Lin Jinlou had already formally released Bao'er from servitude, rewarding him with a hefty sum of silver and promoting him to the rank of a personal bodyguard, which completely transformed his future prospects. Filled with boundless gratitude, Bao'er served with utmost dedication and care.

Hearing this, Xianglan was overjoyed. She rewarded Bao'er with a handful of coins, distributed the various protective amulets they had brought back from the temple among the staff, and instructed Xueying and Lianxin to open the wardrobes, either giving away clothes that were no longer worn or bringing them out to air in the sun. She also gathered the paintings she had created over recent days, setting aside the ones she liked best and neatly folding them into storage boxes or scrolls, while placing the rest aside.

Xiaojuan, Huashan, Lingsu, and the others saw Xianglan tidying up her paintings, and hurried over to point at the stack of discarded ones, saying, "Award these to us."

Xianglan smiled and said, "If you like them, take them."

Xiaojuan busily called over Lingqing, Lianxin, Xueying, and the others to come and pick through them. Unfolding the paintings to inspect them, Xiaojuan smiled and remarked, "Grandmother, these paintings don't have your seal on them. Don't try to fool me—I know very well that without a seal or an inscription, these paintings aren't worth anything." She urged Huashan to join her in showering Xianglan with sweet words, fetching the ink paste and vermilion so Xianglan could stamp her seals on them.

Xianglan gave Xiaojuan a playful pinch and couldn't help laughing. "You clever little imp, all the pastries you eat every day must be turning straight into cleverness in your heart."

Xiaojuan carefully put away the paintings that Xianglan had stamped, and with a mischievous grin said, "Nowadays, Grandmother's paintings are rarely seen outside. Just one or two of these will be worth a small fortune."

By now, Xianglan no longer relied on the reputation of the "Hermit of Orchid Fragrance" to sell her paintings. Yet people in the world—some out of a genuine appreciation for refined artistry, admiring her superior skill and elegant color palettes, desired a piece for appreciation; others, riding the wave of fame from The Biography of the Hermit of Orchid Fragrance and knowing her works had once been presented as tribute to the Empress Dowager, viewed her art as a rare commodity and sought a piece to elevate their own social standing; still others, wishing to curry favor with Lin Jinlou, offered exorbitant sums for a painting, which was in reality a form of bribery. Fearing she might draw trouble down upon Lin Jinlou, Xianglan simply stopped selling her work altogether, only presenting small sketches to visiting friends and relatives to convey her warm regards.

After bustling about for a while, Xianglan grew fatigued. Having eaten lunch at midday, she drifted off into a deep sleep, lying comfortably across the bed. It was unclear how much time had passed when the sound of Lin Jinlou's voice drifted in. Still heavy with sleep, Xianglan blinked her eyes open to see Lin Jinlou sitting right beside the bed. Dressed in full military attire, his hair secured with a pure gold bat-and-pearl hairpin, his eyes shone brightly with vitality, making it clear he had just returned. Seeing that Xianglan had awakened, he broke into a smile and reached out to pull her toward him.

Xianglan smiled faintly and extended her hand. Lin Jinlou pulled her up, folded her into his embrace, and planted a kiss on her cheek. Still half-asleep and resting limply against his chest, Xianglan murmured, "What time is it? Didn't you say you wouldn't be back until tomorrow?" Suddenly feeling weightless, she realized Lin Jinlou had scooped her up horizontally into his arms. As he strode toward the doorway, he said, "Come on, let's go take a stroll in the garden."

Xianglan's face flushed bright red. Eager to struggle yet terrified of harming the child in her belly, she whispered, "What kind of behavior is this? Put me down at once."

Catching sight of her shy expression as he looked down, Lin Jinlou felt his spirits soar. He lowered his head to press another kiss to her cheek and chuckled, "There's no one else around here, what are you blushing for?" He then asked solicitously, "Did you eat at noon? Are you hungry right now?"

Xianglan replied, "I just drank a bowl of soup and nibbled on some side dishes when I went out earlier."

Frowning, Lin Jinlou said, "How can you eat so little? Wine and dishes have already been prepared at the Jianxiu Pavilion, let's head over there to eat." Carrying her in his arms, he strode forward. Glancing sideways, Xianglan saw that the surroundings were indeed devoid of outsiders, save for a few maidservants trailing far behind carrying various items. Before long, they arrived at the water pavilion. Lin Jinlou set her down upon the daybed and smiled, saying, "Eat your fill, and don't starve my son and his mother."

Startled, Xianglan asked, "You knew?"

Beaming with triumphant joy, Lin Jinlou laughed and gave the tip of Xianglan's nose a playful twist. "All the well-wishers came running all the way to the military camp, so that's how I found out what was going on. When I sent people to inquire, I discovered you had deliberately tried to keep it from me! But is there anything in this world you can hide from your master? The moment I heard the news, I rushed to wrap up my duties and hurried home. Do you know what was going through my mind?"

Xianglan had originally wanted to break the news to him herself, but seeing him this way, she felt a flicker of playful petulance and said, "I have no idea."

"I was both shocked and delighted, delighted and shocked, feeling practically mad with happiness! I was so overjoyed I didn't know what to do with myself, so I gave out silver rewards to all the guards and household servants on the spot." As he spoke, Lin Jinlou couldn't suppress another booming laugh. When he first heard the news, his whole mind had gone blank; he had stood rooted to the spot for a long time, unable to gather his wits. A moment later, a surge of happiness so intense threatened to burst from his chest that his heart felt ready to explode. He had laughed aloud on the spot, genuinely wishing he could leap into the air for joy. Those young fellows like Wen Hushi had thought he had gone out of his mind, staring at him in gaping astonishment with their eyes wide as saucers. With a grin stretching from ear to ear, he had walked away calling out, "Even if it starts raining daggers from the sky, the master is heading home today! Now that matters are mostly settled, you lot can handle the rest yourselves."